On Wednesday, when asked why the Libyan rebels were retreating, one of their spokesmen, Colonel Ahmed Bany, said archly, “You are obviously well aware of the difference between a tank and a Kalashnikov.” It could be the difference between victory and defeat. The rebels have repeatedly emphasized their relative hopelessness in squaring off against Muammar Gaddafi’s forces, using only an apparently large supply of light arms, including AK-47s, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
